Episode Nineteen:
Rendezvous

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     Océane departed from school early, offering herself yet another chance to practice the power Claire had granted her when she met a teacher in the hall. She made herself look like the principle before his eyes. He nodded in acknowledgement to a non-existent face above her head.  
     Through the last day of experimentation, she was beginning to discover the limits of the gift. She could make someone see something that was not there, but she could not make herself invisible. A person’s brain notices that there is a figure before it. All she could do was distort that figure. Thus far, she was limited mostly to visual cues, but she was beginning to discover ways to manipulate perceptions of other sounds, like changing a kitten’s meow into a haunting cry.
     She did not even bother changing out of her uniform, it would suit her task. She looked at her watch. Claire had told her that Pierre Renoir would be off work at five o’clock on his way home. She had three hours and being in no hurry, she took a detour. There was something she wanted to remember, and there was a certain place which cradled that memory.
     When she turned the corner she beheld a street of some of the oldest and tightest packed homes in the city, built back in the pre-revolution era. Her gaze locked onto the third house on the left.
     The day she was last here came back to her so vivid it felt as if it was happening all over again.
     On a sunny summer day ten years ago, her mother held her hand, taking her to  a weekend ballet class as was their routine. She heard familiar laughter, the kind that made one think of spring and young life. She looked up, and saw the third story balcony. Little Océane halted, much to her mother’s surprise.
     “Qu'est-ce que c'est, cherie?” Her mother asked.
     Océane did not reply. She was too entranced. For the first time, she saw her, the blonde girl with whom all her dreams were shared.  At the age of seven, Océane realised that she was a copy. She had no dreams of her own, everything she was she had been inherited from the girl, twirling in a white dress, her curly blond tresses floating in the breeze.
    Young Océane smiled. Brunette and bland Océane had a secret with gracious Claire. She wanted to run and greet the girl that she had never met but already knew from their shared dreams. They were the best of friends, two halves that made a whole, though they never before had met in person.
     With one more spin, the girl twirled and brought herself to a halt, leaning on the steel railing of the balcony. Her wandering blue eyes locked with Océane’s and her smile brightened at the girl on the opposite street below her. Her mouth opened to call a greeting.
     Océane mouthed her name ‘Claire’, still trying to overcome her surprise. The next second would echo in her mind for years. The hollow, snapping sound of the railing joints breaking pierced the centre of Océane’s heart. The golden hair twirled beautifully as the girl tumbled from where she leaned like an angel cast from heaven.
     All of Océane senses went numb, she did not hear her mother gasp in horror, nor did she hear the noise of the girl’s body hitting the side-walk like a bag of flour. All she heard was the eternal snapping of the iron railing.
     She did not bid her body to move, but Océane found herself running out into the quiet street.  She did not see the white car hurtle around the corner and she felt no pain when the bumper slammed into her right leg, snapping her shin bone in three.  The next thing she knew she was tumbling through the air, like a cast aside doll, but eyes looked only at the white, beautiful folds of the dress and the fair girl who even in death lay in a graceful pose as she as her gown turned red.
     Océane lay on the pavement, feeling no pain for her eyes were glued on the girl who was surrounded by people, her father dashing out of the door letting out a heart wrenching howl of sorrow when he saw his broken daughter.
     Océane raised a broken and twisted hand, trying desperately to reach for the woven gold locks. She wanted to touch them, to feel the hair of her closest friend, the one who she had copied, to whom she had sacrificed all she was as a person, making herself into a mere, tarnished reflection of her brilliance. But the girl, like a star, was out of her reach, and soon her image blurred, robbing from her all that she found beautiful and Océane’s open eyes ceased to see the world, her ears oblivious to the screams of her desperate parents, the gasps and tears of onlookers, and the distant shriek of sirens.
     Océane shuddered in memory of the event.  It felt like some bad dream. Weeks later when she had been released from the hospital, her sight began to return, but the whole world looked tarnished. She would have preferred to have the last thing she saw be the angel that fell. In fear, she closed her mind, all dreams and nightmares vanished, in both reality and in sleep. She became a dull girl; the one who could never dance again, the girl who would pursue some meaningless career, who would vanish into the grey world so that when she died, her memory would never outshine the perfection of her broken angel.
     Later on, painting appealed to her, she would draw, still life, buildings, birds and plants, but never people. The worlds she made were always empty, devoid of life, save a haunting white figure concealed in the distant background or slightest reflection.
     A few years ago, the ghost of the girl she had stored in her mind had returned to her, reopened her heart to the dreams of others.
     Océane straightened her back, eyes no longer locked on the once bloodied side-walk, but looking ahead. 'Thank you, Claire, for this gift.  Tonight, I am going to tear down a maker of nightmares and give peace to a child, like you did for me.'  She wiped tears from her eyes before they fell. The heaviness in her heart vanished. The selfish vengeance had been replaced. She was no longer moving on to this righteous act out of anger or hatred, but out of duty and with a willing heart.
     She sighed.  'I am ready.'
~~~~~~~~~~
    Aleksei resisted the grievous temptation to tap his foot while the van idled, the passengers staring at the police blockade a hundred metres in front of them.  He felt some comfort that he was not the only person uneasy with the tense atmosphere. Anya, The Messenger, Evan, and even the as of yet nameless driver were all acting antsy. Whatever The Czech was supposed to do, he needed to do it fast, because they were all about to explode from the pressure if SICA did not get them first. In addition, Aleksei needed a chance to contact Mashka.
     He had been feeling uneasy ever since their hasty decision to leave her behind.  It was true that with her enhanced senses she could easily keep herself several steps ahead of anyone who might catch on to her, but that same power was slowly eating away at her.  Last night in Jack’s house, before they went to bed, Mashka confided with him about her power and how she could feel a consciousness that was not her own, clawing and whispering at her from within as it slowly gnawed on her self-control. Every time she used her powers, she found that she could pull herself back a fraction less than the time before.
     Hearing about such a strange experience, Aleksei decided to tell her about Nida, the Repha that resided within his inverse. He told her how he had to reconcile himself with that fragment of his soul in order to regain full control of his power. But unlike Aleksei, Mashka did not have a rational being within or a tranquil palace in the wooded mists. Instead she had a whirlwind of bestial destruction within a void.
     He gave the back of Evan’s head a look that he hoped would somehow convey his worry. He had not yet shared Mashka's secret with him, but he determined to have Mashka tell Evan later.
     Silently the seat and floor of the van in front and to the left of Aleksei turned into pools of scurrying blackness out of which emerged The Czech. Aleksei had never wanted to see this ability up close again, but at this proximity he could clearly see the strange effects. As the Czech pulled himself out of the void, the blackness seemed to flow off of him like a slime before vanishing into oblivion within a fraction of a second.
     Anya turned around.  “It took you long enough.”
     The Czech simply shrugged as he pulled his last arm out of the now tiny void through the seat.  Before his hand completely emerged, the blackness expanded once more as the blond Vladimir was pulled out by his coat.
     Once all the way in, Vlad flexed his neck a few times to loosen up, clearly displeased with his transportation he flopped down in a seat beside Aleksei, who was too shell-shocked to react with more than just a blank stare.
     Evan took a surprised double-take at Vladimir, who was the perfect copy of his brother. The only reason he could tell which was which was Aleksei’s dyed brown hair and different demeanour. Vladimir ignored his brother, seeming to not recognise him. Aleksei had to bear down on himself to avoid hyperventilating. His brother was right next to him, and far too many emotions were flowing through him at once.
    “So, big guy,” Anya began, address her Czech partner “We have a problem. That blockade up there has us trapped, what do you suggest?”
     “Just drive through them, I’ll take care of it.”
     “You do realise doing that is going to be hard to cover up?”
     “That’s the advantage of going against SICA.” The Czech reminded her. “Cover-up is on their dime.”
     Anya shrugged and turned to the driver. “Floor it, Dmitry.”  Inertia threw everyone but Anya back in their seats. Just before they reached the row of police vehicles, The Czech stood and braced himself against the van’s ceiling and floor.  Just as the nose of the vehicle touched the barrier, a black splat appeared upon the area that the van passed through.
     “Woohoo!” Anya cheered as they phased through the vehicles.  “Keep going Dem, we just got started!”
     Dem laughed nervously and kept his foot on the pedal.  Within moments they had come to the end of street and the only thing in front of them was a row of Gregorian residencies.
Unable to control himself, Aleksei let out a frightened yelp just before the van passed through the building, surrounding them in darkness.
     “Ok, Dem,” Anya began as she looked at her hand-held GPS display.  “Turn left once we pass through the next row of buildings, we should be in an alley.  Tech-devision scrambled the video feeds in that area, so SICA will not see where we go from there.”
     “Da, Miss Aho.”
     “Oh come now, call me Anya.” she muttered sultrily in the driver's ear.
    “Uh… sure… A-Anya.” Dem blushed nervously. “Here we go again.” he warned just moments before they phased into another residence.
     I think I’m going to be sick. Aleksei moaned inwardly as his stomach flipped over and tried not to get thrown into Vlad’s lap.
     Finally they found themselves in a wide alley and the driver slowed down, much to everyone’s relief, save Anya who seemed entirely unscathed by the experience. The Czech exhaled and sat down between the two boys, causing Aleksei to lean as far against the window as he could. Being on the same team was weird enough; he did not want to be hip to hip with that creep as well.
     A loud clanking noise caught everyone’s attention as a fire escape stairway lowered in front of them, off of which a woman leapt and signed for them to halt.
     “Stop!” Evan and Aleksei shouted in unison.
     The van parked beside where the woman stood as she put on her round lens sunglasses.  
     Evan hurriedly slid open the door. “Welcome aboard Mashka.”
     He was met by a rather peeved expression on the young woman’s face.  Her brown hair was a windblown mess barely contained below her large grey/blue scarf.
     Silently she stepped aboard and Evan made sure to scoot over to make room.
     “Oh, long time since we last met.” Anya noted casually.
    Mashka angled her face so she could glare at Anya with her golden cat-eyes. Anya provided her own haughty stare in exchange.
     After a few awkward seconds, Anya spoke again, “Well, get in, we don’t have all day.”
     Wordlessly Mashka boarded and sat next to Evan. She glanced back at Aleksei and gave a half-smile, and avoided eye contact with The Czech and Vlad.
     “So, how did you find us?” Evan inquired after they began moving again.
     “We will discuss that later and in detail.” Mashka replied testily.
   Evan half-chuckled knowing he would be on the receiving end of one of Mashka’s rare but unpleasant lectures, but she was safe.

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Episode Eighteen:
Cacophony

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     Mashka stopped just as she rounded the corner and beheld two police cars and several black vans. She stood still, uncertain of her next move. She did not like the idea of going against Evan’s orders, but both curiosity and an uncomfortable feeling in her chest ate at her. So now, finding those two had to be her first goal, and the ever-present pain in her hands, teeth and eyes reminding her that she had the resources to find them.
     'I need to be careful, but I must find out how far I can release and still be in control.'
     Her pain subsided slightly as she released her hold, the temptation to fully release was enormous.  Her power, it felt so good, while holding it under control caused constant pain. For a moment, she was going to just surrender to the euphoria of allowing that other creature take control, but at the last moment she halted the process. She opened her eyes, yellow, slit irises dilated to took in the entire crowd and her ears heard every breath. When a few black fatigue clad men emerged from the furthest van, she focussed in on them and their conversation.
     “Have the Scotland Yard been removed?”
     “Yes, the last two are leaving now. Our folks at the top are very accommodating. We can breech at will.”
     Mashka’s heart skipped. I have to get in there!
~~~~~~~~~~
     The glass doors of the bank shattered and the frames slammed open, followed by a swarm of black clad infantry. Their flash-lights pierced through the thick mist as they scattered and searched for any sign of their targets. They returned to the centre of the room, ignoring the cacophony of the bank patrons who believed themselves saved by the police.
     “No sign of them Captain.” One of them reported with a salute.
     The broad shouldered man he was addressing spoke with a soothing rasp, despite his irritated tone, “Then half of you tear this place apart and the other half help out our men at the perimeter.”  He spoke through his earpiece.  “Have any of you seen them?”  His body tensed as he heard no reply.
     Outside, in the alley beside the bank, four of the SICA agents lay limp; three of them face down on the cement, and one concealed in a skip, deaf to the radios buzzing in their ears.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Aleksei leaned heavily against the cold metal skip as he attempted to regain his breath.  He looked around at his companions; Evan, Anya, and the dark, hooded creature he remembered as being The Messenger, who had just joined them from some shadow along the way.
     I’m sure glad these people know what they are doing, otherwise we would be toast… at the same time, did we jump out of the frying pan and into the fire?  He gave an especially wary glance towards The Messenger having vague memories of their fight months back in Karelia.
     “W-what are we waiting for?” Aleksei asked.
     Anya responded with a hiss for his maintained silence as she looked cautiously out of the alley.
     “They’re here.”
     Though he was tempted to reiterate his question, Aleksei figured that the explosive redhead would not take kindly to being pressed.
     Anya directed her attention towards The Messenger.  “Can you sense anyone else’s presence.”
     A series of hisses and gurgles emitted from the hood that somehow formed into audible words.  “No, but that’s a large area, with many obstructions, I could easily miss something.”
     “That will have to do then.” Anya drew a gun she kept on her thigh and handed it to Evan. “Don’t misunderstand, I am still going to kill you, but right now, I’m low on competent help.”
     “Cheers.” Evan grunted as he accepted the weapon.
     Aleksei shuddered at how serious the woman sounded at the “kill” part.
     “You two, stay put.  We are going to circle around the van.”
     Aleksei found himself nodding in unison with The Messenger.
     Evan stared directly into Aleksei’s eyes. “Do not leave... his side, got that?  He’s the closest thing to protection you have.  And only use your power if absolutely necessary.”
     A moment later the two vanished around the corner and Aleksei was left alone with a former enemy.
     “What are you staring at?” The Messenger’s high pitch, hissing voice sounded perturbed.
Embarrassed Aleksei ceased his vigil of his new ‘partner’. A dull silence filled the space between them, even the rain came to a halt, leaving only the distant drone of sirens.
     Aleksei shifted uncomfortably.  “This-- is very odd.”
     The Messenger’s concealed head moved barely his direction, and then silently turned away, as if it agreed with the description.  
     The next break in silence was the sound of a few loud “pings” causing The Messenger to stiffen.
     Before Aleksei could ask, he received a bone chilling answer from his companion “Sssnipersss, in the direction of our ride.”
     Instinctively he raised his hand, ready to use all his strength to vaporize puddles and soaked pavement and bury the surrounding three blocks in impenetrable fog. A skinny hand firmly snatched his shoulder. He looked back and saw The Messenger shake its head warningly as it tightened its skeletal grip.
    “Thessse people aren’t asss benevolent asss usss, they will not tolerate sssuch sssloppinesssss that we did.”
     “Then what do I do?”
    Beneath the hood, The Messenger’s hidden mouth grinned, impressed with the boy’s impulsive determination. He was about to speak when the strangest expression clouded over Aleksei’s face.
    The youth’s face was paralysed, eyes frozen wide open, pupils fully dilated, and The Messenger’s felt the presence of another.
     The boy went limp and vapors began to pour  off of him, spreading rapidly as a thin sheet over the cobblestone and up the walls as the boy established his near invisible sensory web not of his own will. The Messenger shivered; this presence felt eerily familiar.  It leapt up to a nearby fire escape to watch its charge from a safe distance and drew its tranquillizer pistol, ready for a fight.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The two snipers had the square almost completely covered from their perch, each one facing down different streets looking intently at possible getaway vehicles. At the same time they each felt a chill and in an uncontrollable impulse fired their rifles, the shots echoing in the silence between them.
     "What was that? I could not stop myself!" the young red-redhead hissed.
     The veteran besides him removed his own hand from his trigger wondering how he had pre-maturely fired. He looked at his partner to confirm he was just as confused.
     The sound of giggling surprised them and they looked over their shoulders to to see a girl whose hair flowed like a golden river in a white dress like a heavenly bride.
     She ceased her giggles, “The pawns you hunt are mine. You have committed trespass against me.”  The girl’s beautiful face drew gaunt as her mouth widened and curved upwards, revealing a black void and her eyes vanished leaving behind dark chasms. “The pit craves your souls!”
     The marksmen let out throat ripping screams as their eyes rolled upwards and they lost consciousness due to the indescribable pain, falling into a hellish nightmare as their bodies writhed on the floor before the girl's feet. She looked at the twisting wisps of vapour in the window sill and nodded her approval at how useful Aleksei's power was in a pinch and then she herself faded as quick as she had appeared.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Aleksei blank eyes blinked, “The coast is clear…” he declared and looked at the Messenger.  “Why are you up there?”
      "Lasssst time you stared through me you sliced by stomach open."
     "How queer... I don't remember that. You must have met Nida."
     The Messenger cocked its head inquisitively. Before the dark creature could stop him, the youth hurried out into the open. "Let's go!"
     Aleksei spotted Evan and Anya and shouted.  “Come on!”  He ran towards the blue van, somehow knowing which vehicle was their ride.
     The Messenger waited, expecting a cloud of red mist to burst out the side of the boy's skull, but nothing happened, so he hastened to the van and was joined by Anya and Evan, both perplexed.
     After the side door of the van slid closed behind them, Anya turned to the front and ordered the driver to take off. Then she glared at Aleksei. “What us wrong with you?! You could have gotten us all killed!”
     Aleksei looked genuinely perplexed.  “But you said all was clear.”
     She raised an eyebrow then looked at the Messenger. “I didn’t say anything!”
     The Messenger shook its concealed head.
     “But I clearly remember--,” Aleksei’s face froze causing the Messenger to tense.
    The Apparition grinned at Aleksei in the side view mirror. He shifted his gaze towards the window next to him where she should have been standing, but there was no one there. In the mirror, The Apparition raised her finger to her lips and mouthed, “Thank you…”
   Aleksei decided that it would be wise just to keep silent, before he had everyone questioning his sanity.
     As they drove away, Evan asked.  “What about Ravi Donnelly, any word from Czech?”
     “Dániel and his team are taking care of him.” Anya answered.  
     Evan nodded, a sense of nostalgia running through him as he was once again a part of field work.
     They were all flung forward as the driver hit the brakes.
     “What’s the problem now?” Anya snapped.
     “There’s a police blockade.”
     Anya grumbled and hopped into the front seat.  “They acted faster than expected. Then again, I’ve never ‘robbed’ a bank before.” she slumped back in her seat and crossed her arms. “I guess this means plan C.”
     “What plan is that?” Evan asked.
     The Messenger gurgled slightly.  “Czech.”
~~~~~~~~~~
     Sighing in satisfaction, The Apparition twirled the skirt of her white dress as she walked away from the excitement. She intended on leaving to her next task but first she needed to assure herself all was going according to her design.  She raised her eyebrow at the sight of a man walking out of a store in front of her.
     “What is he doing here?” she wondered aloud.
     “Seems that I can hear you too.” Dr. Kerry said as he removed his hat and allowed his golden hair to dance in the breeze.
     The Apparition looked around to see if there was someone else he was talking too.  “How odd,” She muttered. “Normally only those whose eyes I open can see me. What’s your secret? I’m curious.”
     Dr. Kerry grinned wide, revealing a row of pure white teeth.
     The Apparition shrugged.  “Actually, I’m too busy to care right now, goodbye.”  
     He grinned wider.
     The Apparition’s eyes shifted in worry. Why am I not disappearing?
    “It seems my barrier is holding, delightful!” he cheered, his eyes and mouth wide open in a manic grin.
   Her gaze fell on the man’s electric blue irises, each having a black, interlaced triquetra design dominating centre where a pupil should be. “Where did you get those?” she demanded.  “The seven gifts are hidden from men such as you.”
     “I’ll tell you, but only after you are at my place.”
     The Apparition bared her teeth as she readied her metaphysical arsenal, but before she could so much as conjure a single phantom or horror, she found herself in a beautiful, aquamarine parlour, filled with sofas and cushions.  She could smell salty air blowing in through the sheer curtains through which could be seen a beach of pure white sand lined with palm trees.
     Looking down, she saw that she was standing on an oblong, cushioned pedestal.  Though she was once standing, she was now lying down, pulled flat to the bed, her arms, legs, waist and neck being pulled down tight by vine like ropes that grew out of the cushion below.  She could not move, but turned her head away from the window to her other side.  Right beside her was another bed with its own similarly bound prisoner, a man, whose withered feet rested before her face. She strained against the enchanted fabric bindings to look down towards his head. Despite the emaciated appearance, she could make out the once beautiful tell-tale looks and simplistic but dignified clothing design.
     “Repha!” she rasped as she strugged against her bonds.  “Impossible!”
~~~~~~~~~~
     The SICA captain’s radio buzzed in his ear.
     “Marshal here.” he answered.
     “Captain, we found Team Scarlet.  They were all unconscious and one of them was in the dumpster, naked.”
     Marshal ground his teeth. “We have to assume that one of us is an impostor, check everyone’s identifi--.” He froze when he felt the wet tip of a hand gun be pressed against the back of his skull.
     “Impostor you say?” Vlad smiled behind the concealing visor. “Call off those dogs you call men, now!” He felt the man gulp in terror and cock his head ever so slightly upwards.  Vlad knew fear well, and judging by the lack of satisfaction he was receiving, he realised that he was not the person causing his hostage’s fear.  
     On pure instinct he jerked nanoseconds before the back of the man’s skull sprayed a fountain of blood.  He felt the stinging aftershock of a high calibre bullet pass just over his shoulder followed immediately by a loud ‘ping’ on the cement behind him.
     “Kill the hostage eh?” he said, a hint of a smile on his lips, impressed by the dedication of SICA to kill all jinn, even if it meant shooting through one of their own. He ducked and rolled beneath a nearby van, after which he heard another bullet behind him.  He glanced around himself, at the tires and the gasoline tank. “Forget this!” A searing blast erupted from his hand.
     An explosion rocked the street and windows shattered in a deluge of glass as the van blew apart in a fiery blaze.  A needle of smoke and fire burst out of the top as Vladimir flew into the air.  He redirected himself with a blast of his hand towards a nearby rooftop. However he had sent himself at too steep of an angle and he slammed painfully into the shingles. He grit his teeth and rose, then ran across the roof to escape.
     Vladimir had only run a few paces when a small circle of the roof turned into a small black portal through which extended a calloused hand that snatched his ankle.  He fell forward, and fully expect a bloody nose and a black eye to follow but as he neared the roof, a section about his size turned into an inky void through which he passed as if it was water. He tumbled head over heels, landing on his back on a plush bed.  
     The Czech’s face appeared out of the wall mere centimetres from his own.  “Ready to get going?”
     “Too close!” Vlad declared as he sat up hurriedly, his head phasing through The Czech’s. Once the youth was again on his feet, the bald man offered his hand in front of him.
     “Do I have to?” there was almost a hint of a whine in the blonde’s voice.
     “If you want to live.”
     Reluctantly, Vlad grasped The Czech’s hand, his fair complexion contrasting with even paler skin of his rescuer.  “I take it that you have already gotten the subject moved.”
     The Czech’s silence implied an affirmative.  Then they were on the move, first phasing down through the floors and then running along the ground level, phasing through walls or floors as The Czech saw fit.
     The Czech’s radio buzzed in his ear and he nodded with a slight grunt in reply.  Vlad grimaced at his superior’s irritating habit of non-verbal “communication”.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Mashka skid to a halt on the wet rooftop at the sound of an explosion.  She looked back to see a bright glow from the banking district nearly a kilometre away. She almost dashed back, but reminded herself of the The Apparition’s words, urging her to leave the area, and that her brother and Evan were safe.
     But she felt unsettled.  Her brother was in the explosion, on instinct she knew it. She could see someone hurtling above the explosion. Sharpening her vision she saw her brother, but his un-dyed golden hair told her it was Vlad. She still wanted to run back to him, embrace her long missing sibling. But it was not the time, and she was certain as an Association agent, he was more than capable of taking care of himself.
      She resumed dashing across the rooftops, leaping with catlike grace over alleys.  Her senses were in full throttle as she tried to hear, smell or see any sign of Aleksei and Evan. She had just launched herself from one roof down to another, gathering her flowing skirt mid-leap to maintain modesty. She landed and a sharp pain in her chest that broke through the dull aching that had been plaguing her body since yesterday. She landed by mere reflex and bent over in pain, clawed hand clutching her face.
     I released too much.  I need to reign it back in a bit.
     It was painful for her to tame her body back. She felt an odd pleasure when she gave into her strengths, but pulling them back was agony. She had almost reached the end of her self-control. Feeling something move, she looked beside her at her shadow that was cast by the newly visible sun. A shiver ran down her spine as a part her shadow extended from her back, cast by an invisible being. It formed in the rough outline of a person, waist up as it extended its hands towards the back of her neck. Mashka watched in horror as her own hand moved and grabbed her throat tightly, strangling herself.
     Her other hand slowly crept up to her mouth as the head of the shadow from her back fractured, revealing a massive grin upon the shingles.  Suddenly the shadow’s mouth closed and the being vaporised. Mashka carefully extricated her fangs from where they had pierced her bleeding thumb. It was the only way she could think of to strengthen her resolve against her beast.
     She examined the hand to assure herself that it had begun to heal.  I’m going to have to be more careful.  My bite is much stronger than before.  
     She leapt to the next flat roof and halted. She felt them, a pair of malignant eyes gazing at her from somewhere. A shiver ran down her spine as she scanned her surroundings. Something about a building several streets away caught her eye.  She quickly enhanced her vision and realised there was a person in one of the windows. She improved her vision again and saw two golden glows from underneath a hood, staring right back into her own eyes. Then she saw whoever it was raise a long rifle right at her. In a burst of speed, she moved faster than she ever thought she had. She eliminated her enhanced senses and focused purely on stamina and strength as she flipped, ducked, spun, dove, from rooftop to rooftop.
     She dropped into an alley, landing on the thin ledge above a window and then leapt from there to a fire escape further down. Like a whirling dervish she flipped and tumbled from one foothold to another down alleyways. When she did leap up from between buildings, she had placed a row of taller edifices between herself and wherever the owner of those haunting eyes was. She hurried onward, hoping desperately to find her family.
~~~~~~~~~~
Over a kilometre away, the shadowed figure lowered the rifle and chuckled. She was more than he had ever imagined.

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Day Three: Jeudi
Thursday, September 22nd
 
The silent specters watch,
A silk web waits prepared.
The spider grins at her catch,
The helpless prey ensnared.

Episode Seventeen:
Heist

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     Evan started the car and waited for his charges to emerge from Jack’s home. Aleksei was first, trying to suppress a yawn as he stepped out into the rain. A stream of water spilled over out of the gutter and poured onto the back of his neck. He let out a startled cry, leapt forward and dashed into the car, fully awake.
     Then came Mashka, tailed by Jack.
     “Here, you may want an umbrella.” He offered, a cheeky grin on his face.
    Mashka could not deceive herself.  The young man obviously got his father’s attractive genes, but she was determined not to accept gifts, it would only make him more obnoxious.      “No thank you, the car is dry.”
     “You're going to be walking in the rain later.”
     “No, thank you.”
   "As you wish. Oh if I need to get a hold of my wayward father, might I have your number?”
     Mashka replied in monotone, “My phone is drifting somewhere at the bottom of the North Sea.”
     Jack blinked a moment, trying to figure if she was joking or not.  “Then, email perhaps?”
     “I don’t give private information to strangers.”
    He seemed wounded at her last statement. “I’m hardly a stranger, I’m your guardian’s son, we’re family!”
    Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Mashka tried to put a nail in the coffin of this conversation. “Not interested.”
      “What are you implying?” Jack looked almost shocked.
   Mashka wished her dangerous glare was not so well concealed behind her dark sunglasses.  To accommodate she lowered her voice into a sickeningly sweet tone.  “Goodbye, Jack.”  She flashed a quick smile, revealing her lengthened eye teeth for just a moment before she turned on her heel and hastened to the car.
      After they had gotten onto the road, Mashka glanced over at Evan.  “He takes after you, am I right?”
     Evan chuckled.  “To a ‘T’, I was just like him when I was that age-- ouch!”
     Mashka delicately laid her hands in her lap after punching Evan’s arm.
     “What was that for?”
     Mashka shot him an accusatory glare.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Océane sat quietly in the classroom.  The morning light glared in her eyes, but her mind was on what she would do that evening. All day she had been experimenting with the ‘gift’ Claire gave her on some of her classmates. Instead of only seeing their daydreams, she could force her classmates to see or hear things that were not there. She made the illusions brief, and thus far none of the students suspected they were being tampered with. She found it was easier to manipulate the minds of those in her class than other students at the school, it seemed she had to become used to how the person thought to an extent before being able to alter their perception. Throughout the day the process became more comfortable and expedient.  
     It energized her knowing that at any moment she could disrupt someone's personal reality. It also terrified her, the fact that such power could exist, and she knew it was an impossibility that she and Claire were unique. She mentally questioned how much Claire was manipulating her. Given how powerful the gift was, Océane was left to assume that Claire was much more powerful than she was letting on.
     Océane suspected that she was not communicating with the now deceased Claire who she dream walked with as a girl. This Claire was possibly someone else, who was using her childhood friend as a doorway to gain her trust. The thought was disturbing, but Océane did not feel frightened by it. ‘Claire’ had not done anything to harm her, yet, unless it was she who initiated her power in the first place and forced her to come into contact with other minds at a young age…
     The though was too astonishing and feasible that Océane had to stop herself and return her attention to the teacher’s lecture.  But, in the back of her mind she went over her actions after school, and how she would bring justice to Pierre Renoir.
     Her feelings of hate had subsided, replaced by a kind of exasperation. No matter what she did now, whoever the child of that woman was, he would never again feel a mother’s warm embrace, and nothing she could do would fix that. She was no longer going after Renoir out of wrath, but was out of solemn, grim duty.
     'Mother who I do not know… I would hope this will cause you to rest in peace, but I doubt you will, knowing your child is silently suffering somewhere in this city.  And no matter the punishment I inflict, your child’s tears will not dry.'
~~~~~~~~~~
     Rain poured down outside in torrents and even the thick walls of the East Street bank could not block out the sound of pattering rain. A dark, round faced man in his mid-thirties, glanced in his reflection in the window that looked out on the bank lobby. He pulled off his damp sweater then hastily combed his straight, brown hair into place with his hands, reforming it into its trendy but formal spiked style. He nodded in approval and put on a pair of rectangular black glasses over his wide, honey-coloured eyes that cancelled out the modern form of his hair and instead made him look studious and younger than his age.
He then practised his work smile a few times, switching between wide mouthed and toothy, and more subtle and professional. He settled on wide and toothy, he looked silly, but he felt it would make the customers feel at ease on this rainy day. Taking a deep sigh he put on his work mood and made his way behind his teller station, turned on the computer and straightened his tie with the name tag which read ‘Ravi Donnelly’.
     “And now ready for another day,” he declared happily to himself
     The clock struck nine and the doors unlocked as the first customers entered.
     An elderly woman made a beeline towards his station and sat in the chair on the other side of the desk from him.  “Oh, I get the cute one today.”  she smiled warmly.
     He laughed cheerfully, “Good morning Mrs. Olawale.”
     “And good morning to you too, Ravi.” She grinned wide, her pearly dentures contrasting with her coffee skin.
     Ravi liked this particular customer, she always had something nice to say and annually for the four years he had worked there, she had given him a card on his birthday, as if he was her own grandson. Most of all it was her cheerful smile that bloomed upon her wizened face that he loved the most, and it never failed to leave him in a good mood the rest of the day.
      “So how may I help you today madam?”
     “Oh well, I just need to deposit a cheque from my son.” she fished in her purse and pulled out the blue rectangular slip. “He just earned another acting job down in London, but he says he can’t tell me what it is yet. He is going to be out of country for a while.” Her face briefly betrayed a hint of sadness.
     Ravi knew all too well how lonely the woman was, her husband had died several years ago and all her children were elsewhere living their own lives. He snatched the balance sheet and handed it to Mrs. Olawale.  “There you go madam, is there anything else I can help you with?”
     “You could put me at ease and get a lady friend.”
     Ravi slumped forward comically.  'Here we go again…'  This was the one side of being an honorary grandson he was less than enthusiastic about.
     “I worry about you, all alone in that house of yours.” She insisted.  “I mean, what if something happened and no one was around to help you?” She made a furtive glance downwards.
     Ravi smiled at her concern over his condition.  “Thank you Mrs. Olawale, but, I’m afraid I’m one of those solo types.”
      “Well, if you ever change your mind, I know a few young ladies who would be happy to take you. It’s hard to find a sweet chap like you in this day and age, with all things of this world going on.” Mrs. Olawale muttered.
     As usual, the two of them went off on a tangent of local and global affairs, with Mrs. Olawale doing most of the talking with many exclamations and disapproving tongue clicks. After an invitation over for dinner, which Ravi could never reject, and a question if he needing anything that week, to which he answered with a few household odds and ends and then handed her some money and a brief list, thanking her. The lady took her leave after giving him a motherly embrace.
     Ravi shook his head sadly as she left the door.  “I’ll miss you, old fr-.” He muttered.
     The banks lights snapped off.
    His gaze swerved through the bank lobby.  In the dimmed room he spotted a woman, face covered by an expressionless white and black chequered theatre mask, and wearing all black. She raised her gun straight at him and fired.
     Customers and staff screamed in terror.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Aleksei emitted a low whistle as he climbed out of their silver sedan into the drenching rain and looked through the iron bars of the gate. He beheld in awe the whitewashed two story mansion.  “That’s no dasha…”
     Mashka nodded in agreement, however Evan looked unimpressed. "It's no cottage, you're right, but something is a little off."
     “Why is that?” Mashka asked.
     “Isn’t the building a wee bit on the plain side? And it's in the midst of a middle class street.”
     “What do you mean? Edinburg properties are expensive.” Aleksei reasoned.
     “Well, yes, but this would be reason for someone with a few million, but Ravi Donnelly is worth billions, and this is his main house?  Seems a little… understated.”
     Aleksei took a closer look and he was inclined to agree. The garden was modest in size and did not have anything exotic, just the same plants as any other suburb, and it was not groomed beyond average. There was a lack of statuary and the building itself was of bland design. Even the curtains in the windows declared that they had been bought at a discount store.
     “Perhaps he likes to be frugal?” Mashka suggested.
     “I suppose so…” Evan muttered unsurely. "Speaking of frugal, here are your temp phones." He retrieved two flip phones from his coat pocket and handed them to his charges.  "I have our contacts already saved, we must dispose of them when we are done with this Donnelly business."
     Aleksei leaned on the gate which suddenly swung forward causing him to overbalance and tumble to the grey stone path. “Ow! Care to warn me when you open the gate!” He cautiously lifted himself up, feeling a bruise appear on his hip.
     “I didn’t open it.” Evan insisted.
     Mashka glanced at the gate, “It was never closed, see.”  She pulled the gate back together and it swung loose when she released.
     “No, it is locked,” Evan corrected. “the bolt was cut through.”
    The three looked at each other, confirming one another’s thoughts as they dashed towards the door of the mansion.  On sight of the ajar door, they all felt an uneasy weight in their stomachs.
     Mashka carefully released her power just enough to enhance her hearing.  She heard only one person, a woman, wheezing on the floor. Without any other heed, she hastened up to the porch and entered the house, Aleksei and Evan hissing out caution. She waved at them to signal all was fine.
     “The scent is cool." She declared, "whoever broke in has come and gone.” She followed the noise into the living room where an elderly Indian woman lay on the floor, a nasty, swelling bruise covered the left side of her forehead.
     Mashka dropped down beside the woman.  “Are you alright?”
     The woman groaned in pain.
     “I’ll call for an ambulance.” Aleksei declared, drawing his cell.
     The woman pointed to the phone on the coffee table by a window. All three of her rescuers sighed in relief that she could still move and hear.
     Mashka placed a comforting hand on the woman’s cheek. “Listen, madam, help is coming, but we need to find Ravi Donnelly, he might be in danger.”
     “Pl-please… he’s at work… the bank…”
     “Did people come here to find that out?”
     “N-no, they came here to open the safe…” the woman started to cry, “They wanted the passwords to his bank accounts, they are going to take everything from him!” she sobbed in distress at her employer’s fate.
     “The ambulance is on its way,” Aleksei announced.
     The woman looked uncertainly at them.  “I don’t know who you are, but please warn him, he’s at the bank at the end of the street, and around the corner, hurry!”
     The three of them hesitated, not wanting to leave the injured woman behind.
     “I’ll stay here and call him,” Mashka offered, retrieving her cellular.
     Evan nodded. “Let’s go Aleksei! And Mashka, when the ambulance arrives, I want you to leave the scene as soon as possible, but stay nearby. If we aren’t back soon and don’t call your burner cell, just lay low.
     With no more than one more glance back at the door, the two men hurried out and ran down the sidewalk. The thundering rain soaking them.
     “Aleksei, I need you to be very careful.”  Evan instructed.
     “I intended on being careful.”
     “Be especially cautious this time. We are not dealing with the Association any more.”
     “How do you know that? I mean, besides the fact you were one of them.”
     “Simple, the safe.”
     “Safe?” Aleksei looked thoroughly confused.
     “The Association is a lot of things, but it has never been an organisation of thieves.  We, I mean, it always generated its own wealth. No, this was SICA, they take pride in not being 'wasteful'.  If they are going to kill a Jinn, they might as well take advantage of their assets.”
     Aleksei’s face twisted in disgust, however, his disgust did not have much time to fester as they rounded the corner and spotted a crowd in front of the bank.  The sounds of sirens filled the air as the first few Scotland Yard vehicles arrived on the scene.
     “Bank robbery? Now of all times?!” Aleksei exclaimed. “SICA doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty.”
     “No, this would be the Association,” Evan corrected matter-of-factly.
     Aleksei grit his teeth then snapped back, “Make up your mind will you!?  Is it SICA or the Association we are dealing with?”
     “The bank robbery is just a façade the Association is using to kidnap their target, assuming this is not a coincidence. If it were up to Sentinel they would just snipe their target any time they…” Evan’s heart began to race as he started to put the pieces together. “A setup…”
     “What?”
     “Come on!” Evan grabbed Aleksei’s shoulder and tugged until he followed willingly back up the block and into an alley.  He looked up at the forgotten clothesline with a soaked white sheet hanging on it. Evan raised his open palm towards the strings, the air rippled and inclined his fingers upwards then flipped his hand forward and back in two chops.  The lines snapped and the freed sheet fluttered down with the rain.
     Grabbing it Evan explained.  “For camouflage, we are landing on the roof.”
     Despite his fear of heights, Aleksei flung his arms tightly over Evan’s shoulders. Now was not the time for petty phobias.
     Evan flung the large sheet around them and took off.
      From the sudden burst of speed Aleksei could feel his blood rush to his feet and it took all his might just to concentrate on hanging on.  He made the mistake of looking down between the fluttering edges of the sheet.  Besides the sudden fluttering of his heart and the dawning nausea, he also noticed a single, black clad figure on the roof. Feeling Evan's shoulder's stiffen he knew his ride had seen as well, and when their descent began, Aleksei prepared himself to follow Evan’s lead.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The agent tapped his foot impatiently.  What’s taking them so long, this “bank robbery” is going to fall to pieces if we hold out much longer.  He glanced at the grey sky again and squinted.
     Like a meteorite a white mass hit the roof just a few metres from where the agent stood.  "Kakogo che-?!" his voice cut off a whet linen sheet enveloped him.
     Aleksei broke away from Evan and rushed into the blind spot.  Before the man could even remove the sheet from his sight Aleksei had brought his shin into his diaphragm.
     Aleksei muttered a quick apology in Russian in a strange sense of camaraderie with a fellow countryman he had just assaulted. As he recovered from his feelings of vertigo he followed Evan’s lead to one of the glass A-frame skylights. They peeked down at the situation below.  The bankers and customers were all huddled against one side of the lobby, on the other side, a figure in black standing in front of a man with his hands raised in surrender.
     Nudging Evan for his attention, Aleksei gave him the ‘what now?’ look.
~~~~~~~~~~
     George looked at the pink tuft tranquilizer dart sticking out of his shoulder.  He grabbed and ripped it out, glaring defiantly at the masked woman.
     She cocked her checker masked face in curiosity.  “Oh, I like this one.”  She raised her second weapon.  “Unfortunately, I have more where that came from.”  She began to squeeze the trigger.  Her face scrunched up.  Jammed?  She glanced up at George, who had his hand placed in front of him as if he was holding an invisible handgun.  She watched as his trigger finger straightened, moving hers along with it.  He moved his arm to the side, forcing her to do likewise.
     His legs jerked a moment and he rose from behind his work desk.  He opened his hand and her weapon dropped.
     “A little help here!” she shouted.
     One of her partners, a bent over figure cocked his gun.
     George shook his head discouragingly and raised his right hand and pointed an invisible gun at his temple.
     The woman realised he had forced her to draw the PSS silent pistol she kept on her leg and now the barrel was making a circular indent on her temple.
     “I suggest you don’t do anything and wait for the Scotland Yard.  It would be good for your health miss.”
     He brought up his other hand and made her remove mask, the chequered face clattered on the floor and her short red hair tumbled into view.
    “You are quite a lovely woman, you could have gotten my attention with more subtlety.” George looked pityingly.
    Anya rolled her eyes.  “And here I thought I would like you.  You are just another Scot who thinks he’s charming.”
     “You are Russian?”
   She raised her eyebrow curiously, she was pretty certain she was using her London accent at the moment.
     “We have immigrant services here, you could have made a wonderful life for yourself, and here you are wasting it.”
     Anya’s face fell and her eyes watered, producing a face any actress would train years to attain. She felt George’s hold weaken. Against the resistance of her own muscles she snatched an oblong round object and dropped it on the ground.
    George’s eyes widened at the sight of the grenade and in his surprise he lost concentration and his legs buckled beneath him, leaving him helpless as he collapsed to the ground. He closed his eyes awaiting the explosion as others in the bank scrambled for cover.
     “Psych!” Anya declared, then bent over and whispered. “If you come with us, all of this will end without any casualties, agreed?”
     George nodded.
     Anya glanced upwards at her two partners, giving a signal.  They nodded.
   Suddenly glass shattered as a small object smashed through the second story office window that overlooked the lobby trailed by a white, billowing cloud.
    Smoke bomb, Anya glared in irritation as the cloud enveloped the room, sending the patrons and staff into more chaos, a few of them cheered, believing rescuers had arrived, but most screamed.
    Anya heard someone approaching from behind.  Swinging her right arm back, gun in hand she prepared to kill whoever had interrupted their mission.  However her hand arm by a firm grip and she found herself face to face with Evan.
      “Long time no see.” Evan grinned.
      Anya’s testy reply matched her expression. “Oh, I am going to kill you.”
     With skillful grace Evan relieved her of her firearm and twisted her wrist held it behind her, pressing her own weapon against the middle of her back. “Not today you aren’t.” Evan’s face was close enough to her ear that he heard the muffled voice of The Czech through her ear bud.
     “We have guests.”
    “What kind of guests?” Anya seemed to ignore Evan’s presence for a moment, confident that he would not harm her.
    “I think you know who.” The Czech’s rolling eyes could be heard through the speaker.  “Oh, and greetings Evan, we were told you might show up.”
   “It seems everything we are up to is on broadcast lately.”Evan’s shoulders fell in exasperation as he wondered if it was The Apparition who was tipping people off or whether it was just The Administrator’s intellect.
    “Ok, Aleksei,” Evan spoke softly.  “Move the smoke screen to the parameters of the building, keep the civilians in the mist.”
     “Roger that.” Aleksei replied.
    The fog evacuated the centre of the room like water travelling in rewind out of a drain and compressed to the edges, covering all it touched in a heavy dew.
    When the fog receded Anya found that the blonde youth had been standing a mere two metres in front of her the whole time and just as if he passed through a white wall he fully emerged from the retreating mist. He raised his hand and waved, leaving transparent wisps of mist floating in the air that continuously drifted off his body.  “Greetings, what is this all about?”

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Episode Sixteen
Every Coin Has Two Sides

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    For Mashka to call herself merely stunned would be an understatement of gross dimension.  She was trying to ingest the idea that Evan was a father, and his son was older than her by over a year as she looked on dumbstruck as the two men caught up on times past.
     “E-Evan…”
    “Hmm?  What Tatiana?” Evan replied, being certain to cue Mashka to use her fake name.
     “I think we… I think I‘ll excuse myself for a moment.  Check up on Nikita,” She slowly rose and made her way towards the door.
     Jack looked at his dad giving a sideways grin.  “So, dating younger ladies now?”
     Evan sighed.  “I’m looking after her and her brother until their parents can immigrate.”
     “Ah, so "friends," but you have to have some benefits..."
     "Jack-" Evan chided.
     "Then why haven’t you just come and see me if you’ve been in Scotland all this time?”
     “I would have... but things got complicated.  Besides, I didn’t know whether you would like to see me that much.”
     “Really?  Evan, I would always be happy to see you.  Yeah you dropped off the map for a few years but I assumed it was just something involving your work.”
     Evan took another sip of his cold beer, and stared into the distance thoughtfully for a moment.  Guilt ate at him due to the tone of acceptance in his own flesh and blood's voice.  Jack knew he was a lesser priority.  “How is Gramps doing?” Evan asked, hoping to change the topic.
     “The old chap is doing well, it’s a chore to make sure he takes the medication, but I’m handling it somehow.  Besides that, he does more to take care of me than vice versa.”  Jack looked back towards the door.  “You should probably follow her.  In 'lass-speak' she was telling you earlier that she wanted to talk.”
     “And what makes you an authority on the subject?” Evan asked.
     Jack rolled his eyes, “I’m not the least popular guy in Edinburgh you know.”
     Evan rolled his eyes at his son. “We'll have stuff to talk about.” he said warmly with a pat on the shoulder, then he hurried outdoors.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The dark alley erupted as if from a silent bomb blast.  Dense, evaporated rain rushed through the network of alleys and shot up from between the buildings like a Maltese-cross-shaped geyser and tumbled into the streets and over rooftops.  The Messenger lost its grip of Aleksei in the blast, and sheltered itself, being weary that the Jinn could use the vapour as both sight and as a blade as he had back in Russia.  The world vanished into a grey void.
    Aleksei emerged from the billowing fog and dashed down the street, glancing over his shoulder to see if he was being followed.
     Within the fog, The Messenger sighed as it felt his way to a fire escape ladder and with cat-like speed it climbed up to the roof of the building and felt relieved to be back in clear air. It calmed its breathing and watch the vapours blow away in the wind.  “So the foolish ash raises his hand against the red earth giant.”  The Messenger smiled.  He vanished from the roof and sped as a mere black wisp across the rooftops.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     Evan emerged from within the bar to be encountered by pouring rain, a shivering Mashka and an exhausted Aleksei huddling under the pub‘s canopy.  “What’s wrong?”
Aleksei gasped heavily as he replied, “The… Association… they are… here in Edinburgh.”
Evan raised his hand to his face in frustration.  “That’s perfect! Traffickers, manipulative ghosts, and now The Association, this day couldn’t get better!”
     “It gets worse,” Aleksei continued.  “Vladimir, our brother, is with them, and he’s Anya’s partner.”
     “Anya…" Evan seemed shocked to utter that name again,  "...is here?”
     “Yes, she is and they seem to be fighting another secret agency, they called it SICA.”
     The siblings felt even more nervous at Evan reaction to Aleksei’s latter statement.  “Are you certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that they said “SICA”?  You didn’t mishear?”
     Aleksei thought carefully for a moment, reliving the gruesome scene.  “Y-yes, I’m positive, they said “SICA”.  What’s the issue?”
     “Let me put it this way.” Evan pushed up his glasses, a gesture the siblings usually took as he was going into serious mode.  “SICA is to NATO what The Association is to the former USSR; and the former makes the latter seem like philanthropists.  Their method of solving the ‘Jinn issue’ is to kill them, rather than have them become pawns to the enemies of the West.”
     A stunned pause fell on the Sharovs.
     “So what do we-?” Mashka fell silent as she caught sight of Jack emerging from the bar.
    “Hey, lads,” Jack greeted casually.  “What’s with the glum faces, you look like you swallowed a bee each.”
     The three looked at each other and then back at Jack.
     Evan spoke up first.  “Jack, wait out here, get acquainted.  I’m going to finish getting the information we came for.”
     The three younger persons glanced at one another in silence, trying to figure out who was supposed to introduce who.
      “So, Tatiana was it?  Have any plans this weekend?” Jack asked giving a knock out grin, which rapidly disappeared before both siblings’ withering stares.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     The Czech, Vlad and Anya entered the florescent lit warehouse outside the bustling night-life of Leith.  They walked down the aisle between the empty metal shelves towards the office-turned-temporary-headquarters.  The three of them simultaneously made a disdainful side glance at the approaching Dr. Kerry.  Despite all their differences they still found the same man most aggravating.
     “Oh welcome back!” Kerry exclaimed all too cheerily and high pitched for anyone’s comfort.  “I hope all things went well.”  The obvious insincerity of his voice made the corner of each of their mouths to twitch with angry unison.  They kept walking, attempting to ignore him, hoping to reach their fellow sympathetic, Bruno.
     “Oh and dear Vladimir,” The man raised a slender hand to rest on Vlad’s shoulder.
Vlad raised his eyebrow at the overtly familiar gesture, and heated the air just above his shoulder.
     Kerry‘s feminine “Ouch!” echoed.  “You’re so mean, I was just--” his voice was cut off by Vlad’s look of 'I-dare-you-to-get-close-again.'
     Kerry wisely changed the topic.  “The boss is on video call, he’s been waiting patiently, but you all took a long time coming here... and where’s the creepy one what’s-his-face?”
     “On surveillance, it’s what The Messenger does best.”  Anya’s voice had an odd sharpness, as if she was defending a compatriot against an insulting outsider.
     Kerry waved off the trio’s unanimously unspoken sentiments of dislike with a flick of his blond tresses.
     Entering the office they were confronted by the impatient gaze of the large, scruffy German, his tattooed, muscle-bound arms folded in front of him, his finger tapping on his bicep.  He wordlessly nodded to the screen.
     The three stood in front of the monitor of Bruno’s computer and a video of the Administrator in his office.  He was dressed in his suite, but the tie was absent and the top few buttons were undone of his dress shirt.
     He smiled warmly, and though his subordinates would never admit it, their boss’s smiles always made them feel a strange warmth in their chest, as if meeting with an old friend.
    “You look lovely Anya, red is definitely your colour.”  the older man grinned, spreading out his well trimmed facial hair and revealing equally white teeth.  “It was a good investment to update your wardrobe, very flattering.”
     Vlad pulled a face but stopped himself from gagging.
     Anya grinned back and replied with a hint of sultry in her voice.  “You should lose the tie permanently, makes you seem more up to date and attractive.”
     Vlad muffled a gag.
     “Oh Anya, you know how to make an old man seem young again.  Very well, but only for you, duscha.”
     Vlad not-so-quietly retched.  Thankfully for him, the flirtatious banter did not continue.
     “Now, on to business.”  The Administrator sat up straight and put on a emotionless face.  “You three have succeeded in raising gam, and without much to show for it.  It disappoints me.”
     The Czech responded matter-of-factly, “We have not come any closer to the subject, true, but we have greatly hindered the enemy--”
     Vlad spoke up rashly, cutting off his superior.  “What we have done is turn Edinburgh into a war zone. The authorities are edgy and our mobility is becoming more and more difficult. SICA just has too many people crawling all over the place and they keep cornering us, intentionally or not.  I’m fine with chasing down people, but I really don’t like it when the game turns around.  So how long are we going to be playing this little game?”
     “Good question,” The Administrator turned his gaze towards Bruno.  “Did you plug the leak?”
     "I am in the process, the bait has been taken.”
   “You will not need to worry further, I will take care of the leak myself.” The Administrator’s gaze shifted slightly to the left, looking at something beyond his computer. Returning his attention to the screen he smiled, “In the meantime, I want you to head uptown, there is someone who can lead you straight to the subject. She is a reliable source, so don’t worry.  But please, disguise yourselves, you have all become noticeable.”
     “No one in SICA has seen me yet, I could go.” Kerry offered.
     A very brief, bemused smile touched the Administrator’s lips, but it vanished as he replied. “Niet, I need you to stay here, keep researching that lead. Maybe some other time.”
Kerry seemed only a little disappointed with the decision, quickly recovering.  “Right away sir!”  He declared in an obnoxious singsong voice.
    The Administrator’s eyes roved through his group. “I’m counting on you all, and I apologise for the lack of direction. It’s only temporary, I promise.” His image blinked off the screen.
     “This isn’t good.” Anya said aloud.
     “What?” Vlad asked, “Besides the other ninty-five percent of our working conditions?”
    “The Administrator never apologises, even when the two of u--”  She cut herself off, receiving suspicious stares from the others.  “I mean, it’s just not in his character to feel sorry, something is really bothering him.”
     “Yes,” The Czech agreed.  “and it’s not something small.”
     After the three reloaded on spare ammunition they left.  As he drove, the Czech reflected on the Administrator’s face. There was only one thing in the world that would bother his long time employer that much, and it was the one thing he knew about his boss that Anya did not. For the first time in a very long time, the Czech felt something that might vaguely resemble worry.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Jack opened the door for Evan and the siblings.  “Welcome to my pad!  Grandpa is with my aunt for the weekend, so we’ve got the place to ourselves.  So charades? Movie? Take your pick!”
     “We are here to sleep, nothing else.” Mashka said politely with a smile that told Jack she meant business. “However, thank you for your hospitality.”
     He excused himself to the kitchen. 'What’s up with her?  She gives me the willies and then she thanks me so nicely? And that sexy Russian accent just makes the two acts all the more extreme.' He was actually relieved they were going straight to bed, otherwise he didn’t know how long he could put up with the bipolar woman.
     In the spare bedroom, Evan caught Mashka and Aleksei up to what he had learned. “After showing a few pounds to the bartender he told me he did know of a George Donnelly. He now goes by the name of Ravi Donnelly, and has been overseas for the last few months and just got back. Apparently he’s an urban real estate tycoon with a net worth in the tens of millions.”
     Aleksei’s eyes widened a little. “Then how do we get to that kind of guy?"
     “Well, he’s not exactly a celebrity.  He maintains a low profile and has not been involved in any financial scandals, so we just might be able to walk up to him.  Even better, he lives close by.”
     “This bartender is getting creepy.” Mashka butted in.
     “Relax, he knew which bank Donnelly uses judging by his debit card. Also, another small detail about him…”
     Several minutes later, down in the living room, Jack began to wonder when his father would finish saying good night.  He sighed and walked up the stairs but he stopped short of the guestroom door when he heard his father whispering something, followed by Nikita. Despite that they were speaking in Russian, he could tell it was not a conversation. He peeked in, surprised to see three bowed heads and six clasped hands. When he heard “Amen” he ducked back behind the wall, not wanted to seem like he was spying.  His guests continued speaking in Russian, then they bid one another goodnight and Evan emerged from the room.
     “Aye Jack, you wouldn’t happen to have some milk on hand would you?”
     “Of course, and I prepared the sofa for you.”
     In the small, pastel yellow kitchen Evan poured himself a glass of milk and placed it in the microwave, setting the timer.
    Jack raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Warm milk, really?  You have been tamed!  Whatever happened to a stiff drink?”
     Evan chuckled weakly.  “Alcohol does not agree with me like it once did, besides, Tatiana only allows low proof vodka and light wine in the house, she’s not fond of alcohol breath.”
     “Old man…” Jack rolled his eyes. “So much for being their guardian.  Besides, are not they both adults? Why are they still living off of you?”
      “It’s complicated…”
     “Augh! You use that answer far too often.”
     “Let’s just say they have nowhere to go.”
     “And you need them too.” Jack concluded.
     Evan shook his head.  “No, it’s not like that, I’m not picking them over you, they, I should say ‘we’, left Russia having made few friends and far too many enemies.”
     Jack smiled. "Now this is getting interesting. So what are they? Witnesses? Children of a defeated mafia boss?”
     “About as exciting but not quite the same. I can’t tell you without consulting them and I would not want to put you in danger.”
     “Ok, I hear you Evan, I will be as silent as the grave.”
     Evan rubbed his son’s shoulder proudly. “Thanks, I hope next time I can pay you back the favour, and depending on how the next few days play out, maybe we could get together more often and in a less covert matter.”
     “Something’s going on with your ‘work’, right?” Jack received the same cock-eyed smile that he had inherited in reply, telling him that Evan was not going to say anything else about it.  He wisely decided not to pry so changed the subject.  “So, anything you can tell me about them, like maybe what are the lassie’s hobbies?”
     Evan chuckled at his precocious offspring.  “I think I better keep my lips sealed there, Tatiana is going through a tough time right now, I don’t think she needs additional complications.”
    Jack’s face fell. “Rats, and she’s such a belle too. Unusual eyes, kind of an emerald green.”
     Evan almost corrected him that her eyes were blue, but he caught himself remembering the changes going through her body at the moment.  He missed her old eyes, the ones that reminded him of summer dusk.
     Parent and child leaned on the counter, the son staring blankly at the yellow cabinetry and the father staring at the grey living room carpet surrounded by the deep red easy chair, sofa, and Ottoman.
     “You pray now…” Jack stated flatly like a research fact.
     “Not really, they pray, I just join.” Jack’s head turned slightly at the somewhat guilty tone of his father.  “They desperately want my soul saved, just shows how much they care. Still, I kind of wish I was as childish as them, their faith has gotten them through thick and thin, and in a way, even I feed off of their intangible confidence. It’s something to admire in them.”
     “Must be tough, pretending all the time, in particular when they see through your façade.”
      Evan smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~
    Row after row of beautiful houses, gardens, and parks stretched out in Alexandria, Virginia, a wealthy city containing expansive suburbs, contrasting with the nearby, less prosperous District of Columbia.
     On one side of the green, manicured backyards, behind a large picturesque house, a man threw back the rubbery foam football to his spunky, dark haired son. The boy ran and leapt in an attempt to snatched the ball but stumbled and landed on the grass.
     “Oh!” The man exclaimed, his classically attractive face furrowing in concern.  “Come on Li, you can get up!”
     The boy sniffed, put on a determined face and rose, throwing the ball back straight and true, smiling because his dad had to leap to get it.
     “Victor!” his wife called. “There is a call for you.”
     “Yeah, thanks Ming,” Victor gave a one minute sign to the young boy and hurried over to his wife.
     “It’s from Mr. Carlyle,” she explained.
    Her husband’s grin twitched a little, but he accepted the cordless phone calmly and waved the small woman off affectionately as he walked to the corner of the patio and sat down.
     Though he maintained a relaxed expression the edge in his voice could have cut ice. “I thought I told you no calls today.”
     “Sorry,” Carlyle’s voice was urgent, “The agents we sent to England, a third of them have been...”
     “Killed?” Carlyle’s nervous pause answered for itself. “That is surprising. Usually the old fellow is more of a gentleman. We were playing this game tamely, no casualties, a few meagre shots fired, nothing more. What changed his approach?”
     “Three days ago, some of our own men acted unusually. They opened fire when they shouldn’t have.  Two civilians and an Associate were killed. We took the agents off duty, but the damage was done and The Association reacted with killing SICA agents on site rather than following the catch-interrogate-release procedure.”
     “And what about the agents who started this?”
     “The agents in questions all claim to not remember the incident. We polygraphed them, and they passed.”
     “There may be an abnormal involved.”
     “Maybe, but it’s not one of The Association’s. Before they cut contact with us, they seemed just as surprised as we are about the incident.”
     “Like Tbilisi all over again.” Victor mumbled.  
     “We need reinforcements. The Administrator has his best working here, and he brought along a new agent, an abnormal named Vlad. I’m emailing his M.O. to you.”
    Victor considered the situation calmly.  “I’m tempted to think it was a mistake stepping on The Association’s territory, it might have been too soon. The Administrator has stubbornly guarded Europe and the Middle East, allowing us free range of Africa and the Americas. But since we started the incursion, it’s time to end the games. I’m sending Nebuchadnezzar3 to assist, and perhaps Nyra, she’s always helpful in a pinch and works well with Nezzar.”
     “You sure, sir?  Don’t you need them looking for the targets on the West Coast?”
    “Relax Carlyle, I still have plenty of staff in those areas.  And Nyra would be very irritated if she knew you didn't want her.”
     Carlyle laughed nervously.
     “Oh, and one more thing, I know it might be a long shot, but take care of that lead we received from White Crow.  It’s time for us to pull a fast one on the old man as well.” Victor hung up before Carlyle had a chance to bid his polite farewell. He wanted to be sure that his subordinate knew that he was displeased with the interruption over something that could have been talked about later. Europe was not at the top of his priority list.
     However, he could not yet go back to his pleasant evening with his family.  That man, the Administrator, was an irritation.  He thought he had taken care of the last of the opposing agencies after collapsing both China's Great Tomorrow Project and the Russian Association from the inside. However, the old man simply used the collapses as a way to rid himself of the fellow bureaucrats at the cost of the sweeping influence the former Soviet project once held over the whole world, while NATO’s shadow organisation, SICA crawled behind.
     'It makes little difference now,' he thought smugly. 'Nezzar and Nyra will be more than he can handle.  This will be the first time he sees my fangs.'

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Episode II: Ground Zero

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One Week Ago, Military base outside Medao.
  Kahlen sat in his father's lab running tests on a troublesome communications console for a cruiser.  His father had rewired it to adapt to newer technology.  He was on the final automation pass, watching the packet verification data collate on the screen before him when his uncle entered.
   "Kahlen, we need you in the hangar.”
   “Yes... but why?”
   “The consoles have a few bugs and we need an extra pair of hands.”
   Kahlen raised his eyebrow.  He was well aware his uncle was lying; any pure-blood Sairen would have keen enough hearing to notice strange, so why bother with a lie?
   'Another surprise?' he thought as the gill slits on his neck flared irritably.  But he decided to play along.  It was also a possibility his uncle just wanted him out of the lab.  He was used to that since his uncle worked on other top secret projects.  He always did wonder though, the Yasha project was the most revolutionary invention for the past few hundred years, how could something be more top secret than that?  When he followed him Kahlen knew it had to be a surprise.
   He came down to the hangar and into the Yasha.
   “Uncle said you needed me.” Kahlen addressed his father.
   “We do,” his father nodded to his brother in law.
    Kahlen’s uncle closed the door.
   “What is going on?” Kahlen asked suspiciously.
   “You’ll see.” was all father said.
   He sat down in the control chair and opened a call.
   “Zhadu Rhora here, we are ready for maiden flight.”
   “Understood, Zhadu, Ura, and Kahlen Rhora, you’re authorised for flight number twelve.” the launch administrator said over the speakers.
   The hangar doors opened before them into a long upward sloping tunnel which was engulfed in darkness.  Kahlen bit his lower lip, trying to contain his excitement.  
   His father beckoned him to take the seat next to him at the front controls and his uncle sat at the control console in the centre of the bridge.  Kahlen beamed, he had worked so hard for this and now he was being allowed on the test flight!
   “Don’t start crying now.”  His father said.
   Kahlen blushed; he had not noticed his wet eyes until then and felt embarrassed.
   “You are clear for take off Yasha.”  The voice of the flight director came in on the Yasha’s communication system clear and perfect as if he was sitting next to them.
   “Affirmative,” father responded, “starting engines.”
   Yasha’s engines sent out a wave of heat as they became ready to propel the vessel forward. Zhadu moved his hands up along a touch pad and the Yasha rushed into the tunnel. Despite the speed the inside of the vessel was unaffected by the inertia.  A crack of light appeared at the end as the doors opened.  The Yasha continued to pick up speed and for a split second Kahlen was sure they would ram the doors.  
   They opened with time to spare and the Yasha found freedom in the grey cloudy sky. Cheers erupted on base. The penultimate success had come. His father and uncle were jubilant but Kahlen sat silently, staring through the windows with an unreadable expression.
   His uncle walked forward to his nephew wondering why he sat silent.  “Is something the matter?”
   “No.” Kahlen replied half-heartedly.
   “Then why the down face?”
   Kahlen sighed, “Everything is going to change.” Kahlen said distantly.
   “How is that?” his uncle Ura asked.
   "Just a sudden hollowness, like when mother died..."
   They heard a bird like sound from in front of them.  Kahlen’s uncle pressed a button on his consol and a voice came through.  “Congratulations Rhora and Ura,
“Thank you general,” Ura said acting as spokes man, “we are glad to see it as a success.”
“Please report back at base.  We are going to start preparations for the maiden voyage.”
“Yes general,” Kahlen’s father and uncle replied.
~~~~~~~~~~
Arizona, present day.
   The camper stumbled away from the site of the impact from which smoke still rose in the distance.  He was trying to get to the nearest gas station before sunrise.  He had lost all of his supplies in the explosion, including his water so he needed to get out of the wilderness before the heat of day arrived.  
   He came out from behind wild grove of cacti and finally he saw the tall glowing sign of the gas station.  He felt as if he had never seen a more beautiful sight.
   He walked though the door and nodded a greeting to the clerk.  The clerk and the other customers gave a few inquisitive glances at his dirt covered clothing and mangled appearance.   The man found one of the few pay phones remaining in this day and age and made a phone call.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
   The next day trucks and hummers were parked in an orderly manner surrounding the site of the impact.  Temporary shelters were erected and filled with computers and other mechanical equipment.  Officers and technicians were buzzing everywhere like a hive.  
   A black sedan drove up the recently made dirt road and parked behind the largest tent.  A tall man in Air Force Service Dress uniform stepped out.  He walked around to the tent entrance removing his hat.  His hair appeared to have been light brown in the past but grey was now mixed into his hair and moustache so that he appeared almost blond. He scanned the tent for a while letting is bespectacled grey-blue eyes adjust to the comparative dimness of the tent.  He spotted who he was looking for, another officer, a young lieutenant, who was considerably shorter, not quite five and a half feet tall and sporting golden blond hair.  He walked to the other side of the room where the lieutenant was conversing with an airman.  “Are you sure it’s that big?” The lieutenant was asking.
   “I’m positive sir, its density is also unusually low, I can’t tell you why.  We can rule out this being a meteorite.”
   “Our friends at NASA had already figured that.” the lieutenant replied, "Any theories?"
  The officer interrupted the conversation between them and addressed the young lieutenant, “Lieu. Bates, I believe you are meant to debrief me.”
   The younger officer turned and his demeanour changed from being a formal officer to more of a respectful friend, though he kept formality in his words.  “Major O’Dell, I was unaware they call you in.  You were on vacation last time I checked.”
   The major replied in a disgruntled tone, “I think all of us know how much the guys upstairs relish calling their officers. Besides, I wouldn't want Smith to miss his daughter's wedding, so it's me.”  He began walking outdoors and continued when he knew Bates was following, “So have you figured out what it is?”
   Bates winced, “I’m afraid we haven’t, we have for the most part been checking the perimeter and climbing on that mound with metal detectors and other instruments to find out what is buried there.  We don’t have permission to dig yet.”
   “So you were all sent out here and now are not allowed to do anything?”  By the tone of the major’s voice, it was not a question needing an answer.  
   Bates shrugged and continued, “It was found by a hiker named George Martin who was quite nearly killed.  He got out with minimal injuries but he would like it if we kept an eye out for a little beagle named Zak.  We have learned little more than what he was able to assume just by looking at it.  We found that the object had impacted in a very unusual style.  It came in at a low angle and skidded along the ground producing the quarter mile canyon you see there.”  He gestured towards it, “NASA confirmed that it came out of orbit.  Since it came at such a gradual angle it should have had a lot of time to burn out in the atmosphere. Obviously, whatever it is, it's made out of something durable since it lost negligible mass during its entire decent. If I didn’t know better I would think it was a controlled flight but if it was a vessel it isn’t one any more.”
   “So is that all?” the major asked with open incredulity.
   “Well…” he paused “…yeah.  For now the official story is that it's a small meteorite.”
   Bates’ radio buzzed.  “Bates here,” he answered.
   “Lieutenant, I think, I think I found something.”
   “Roger, coming right there, Bates out.”
   “Affirmative, Cassidy out.”
   Turning to his companion Kevin said in a sudden cheerful voice, “Well, perhaps I might have something to show you.”
   They both cantered to the miniature hill at the end of the canyon.  All over the mound there were men in hazmat suits, looking very much like a tinfoil convention, waving various instruments over it.
   "Is it radioactive?" O'Dell asked.
   "Not that we can tell, but better safe than sorry." Bates reassured.
   They arrived at the foot of the mound and Bates called out, “Cassidy, I’m here!”
   One of the men in a hazmat suit appeared over the crest of the mound.  “This is fascinating, you should see these measurement,” he began to advance down the mound unable to contain his excitement; “This is spectacular I think the object-” the dirt shifted under him and he disappeared into a landslide with a yell.
   Bates called out a warning but had to leap back and run to get out of the slide zone.  However the major‘s reflexes were not fast enough.  Before he could turn around and get out of the way a blast of sand hit his legs and knocked him down, the debris flowing over him like a river.  The whole scene was enveloped in dust for several minutes.  After it cleared the major stood up and created a minor cascade of his own by dust falling from his back and shoulders.  
   “Sir, are you alright?”  Bates inquired with concern.
   “I’m fine.” He coughed and wiped the dust from his face and uniform.
   They both paused for a moment as if trying to remember something.  “Sgt. Cassidy!” they exclaimed simultaneously in realisation.
   They hastened over the loose debris to where they thought he would be.  Than they noticed a slight shine, the slide had pushed him along till he was rather far away from the source.  The two of them came by him and lifted him up, and the five or so inches of sand on top of him.
    “Are you hurt?” Bates asked while wiping him off.
   “For guy who just had half a mountain land on him, yeah I feel ok.”  He removed the helmet of his hazmat suit and turned his head to find Kevin was not listening but advancing on the mound.  His eyes were riveted on it.  Everyone had gone completely quiet and looked strangely at the slope.  The slide had uncovered a smooth surface with obvious symmetry.  Kevin put out his hand and wiped off the thin layer of dust that remained.  It revealed a smooth pure white surface.  Kevin turned around to the awed crowd.
   “Call headquarters immediately and get clearance to uncover this thing!”  He pointed at Cassidy, “Get a team together to rescan for explosives and radiation.  We are going to take every precaution.”  Kevin turned back to the white surface, “A real live UFO.” he muttered excitedly.
   Within two hours they had the go ahead to uncover it.  More and more smooth white surface was revealed till, after an hour or so the whole object was visible.  It was an aircraft of some sort.  It was about 14 meters long and 10 meters wide.  At the back half of the vessel there were two thick, down sweeping wings that projected out three meters.  They appeared not to be true wings but more like a type of engine casing.  The back of the craft curved down smoothly and tapered.  There where no hard angles whatsoever on the vessel, the whole surface curved fluidly in all dimensions like a raindrop.
   “The eggheads on base will drool over this.” Kevin stated humorously.
   “Watch who you call eggheads.” Cassidy elbowed him playfully.
   A distance away the major was by his car talking on his phone.  When he hung up he called over to Kevin.  “Lieutenant, they want us to report back to base pronto, and they want the object to prepare for transport.”
  “Yes sir!” Kevin shouted back.
  After relaying the order by radio Kevin hurried to the car. As he was about to get in he paused, “Did you hear something sir?”
   “No, why?”
   Kevin looked around, listening closely, then he got down on his knees and looked under the car.  
   The major, curious, asked what he was doing.
   Kevin popped up again, “I think I found Zak.” In his arms was a small, dirty, and very hungry beagle who had taken shelter in the cool shade of the vehicle.  He called a sergeant over and told him to get the dog some food and call his owner.  Then at last he got in the car.  "Well, I got something done today." he said pleased owner and dog would be reunited. After they had been on the road for awhile Kevin smacked his head, “I should have brought my paperwork, this is going to be a six hour drive.”
   “Actually closer to half an hour,” The major corrected.
   Kevin looked puzzled.  
   The major explained, “Command sent a chopper for us at the local airport.”
   “Sweet, they must be really impatient.”
    The major replied in a patronizing voice, “That they probably are.”
   “You know, this is the most important job I’ve had yet since I made lieutenant. First assignment that I have any real command and we find a UFO!”  Kevin said excitedly.
   “Yes.”  The major responded plainly.
   “You think it could turn out to be something top secret?  You know, revolutionary and conspiratorial.”
   “They are already thinking that, I assure you.”
   The younger officer suddenly dismissed the former subject and asked his friend, “So where were you for vacation?”
   “Fishing,” the major stated.
   “I knew that you would be fishing, but where?”  Kevin pressed.
   “Well, I was going to go fishing up at the Columbia in the gorge.  However, as I was packing I received the phone call.” The major could not keep the annoyance out of his voice.
    “Hmm…” Kevin pondered for a moment then as if he had a great revelation said, “I have some news to cheer you up.”
   “And what would that be?” he asked expecting some sad joke.
   “Happy forty-seventh birthday!”
   The major groaned, “Kevin, do you always have to remind me?”
   “Of course I do Mac, and with a birthday comes a present!” He stopped to grab something from his pocket.  Finding it he handed a little box to the major.  “Here you go.”
   “I’m driving Kevin.”
   “K, just be sure to open it later.” Kevin conceded, setting it between them.
   “Alright, I will.” the major replied in a nearly exasperated voice as if he was dealing with a small annoying child.
   For the rest of the time the two chatted, catching up with one another since the last time they had talked.  As they pulled into the airport parking lot the major asked, “So how are your folks?  Well, I should hope.”
   Kevin sighed, “They’re doing fine, I guess.” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice,  “They miss me a lot since I graduated.  They can’t visit me as often as they could at the academy. I think they are feeling empty nested, with me in a job two thousand miles away, and all my sisters married.  I don’t think they want to cut the apron strings on me yet, being their youngest an’ all.  The main problem I have is that they are always calling, asking what I am doing, which of course I can’t tell them. And outside of work I, what, work out and sleep?  Not that interesting.” The major nodded understandingly. “I feel guilty cause I've got a full voice mail that I have not listened to yet.”
   “You should feel guilty.” The major spoke seriously but his smile betrayed him.
They both got out of the car and headed to the chopper which was just starting to spin its blades.  Not twenty minutes later they were cruising over the desert.
   Sitting in the passenger hold, Kevin handed the small box to the major,  “Are you going to open the present now?”  Kevin pleaded.
   “Alright, I’ll open it.” The major replied exasperated.
   He took the lid off the suspiciously small box and revealed a diver’s watch with the Boy Scout emblem on the face and the scout motto etched in the frame ‘Be prepared’.  The major smiled.
   “I figured you would like that, you being my Scoutmaster and all and I thought it would be a good memento.”
   “Thank you Kevin.” He said with almost a choke while he put it on.

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Episode Fifteen:
Chance Encounters

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     Aleksei exhaled and watched his cloudy breath drift on the evening breeze.  The sunset had passed, and slowly the brightest of stars began to appear.  The young man looked down into the car where his sister sat silently, a sad and worried expression on her face.
     The past two hours had passed slowly, and both of them were concerned.  Aleksei wondered what could be so dark in Evan’s past that made the man’s face seem so dead when he set out.  Doubtless he had lost someone dear to him, but how was that involved with his ability?
     “I’m back.” Evan said blandly as he emerged from an alley.
     Aleksei nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.  “Don’t sneak up like that!”
     Evan backed away raising his hands defensively. “Sorry, sorry.”
    Mashka exited the car, having heard his approach well before he arrived.  She stood beside her brother, her smile tainted by uncertainty.
     Evan stared at the two siblings.  Every now and then he would have a stray thought that the three of them almost seemed like a family, but now, for the first time, he actually wished that they were.
     “Something funny?” Aleksei asked curiously.
     “No, not really. The Apparition let me know what we are doing next.”  Evan walked around and got into the driver’s seat, prompting the other two into the vehicle.  “I’ll tell you on the way.”
~~~~~~~~~~
     “So this is your ‘network’?” Mashka muttered examining the suspicious neon lights and the old green paint of the outside of MacDougal’s Public House.  Her nose crinkled at the stench of spilled alcohol, cigarettes, and sweat drifting out from within.
     “It’s actually more reliable than you think, both the clients and bartenders are careful to listen for gossip for the sake of people like us.”
   “There is no ‘us’ here.  This is your reputation we are talking about.” Mashka’s scrutinising glare causing Evan’s spine to tingle.  Aleksei smiled nervously, maintaining a careful distance from the two of them.
     “Well, yes there is ‘us’ because you are coming with me.” Evan replied, returning an anxious but stern gaze.
     “Why?  Do you realise how much that place stinks?!”  Mashka protested.  “I have a sensitive nose!”
      “Mashka…” Evan’s voice fell deeper.  “I really need you. The proprietor would be much more talkative if you are there to encourage him.”
     After a momentary stare-down, Mashka relented, glancing at a mirror to examine her eyes.  Other than being closer to a green colour than their normal blue, they looked good enough to pass scrutiny in a poorly lit pub. The two left Aleksei out in the car and entered the establishment.
     Evan sat down casually at the bar eliciting a facial twitch from Mashka.  There was not a chance she was going to sit in the empty seat next to him.  She took her place standing a pace behind him.  Her eyes swept the bar, unpleasant scents and even less pleasant conversations catching her ears and nose, not to mention noticing more than a few distasteful once-overs.  Ever since she had mutilated her wild dark hair into its current wavy blonde she had received far more looks than what she was used to, or perhaps it was just that Scottish men were a lot more forward than their St. Petersburg counterparts.
     However, her less than enjoyable vigilance paid off.  She heard someone walk in the door behind him.  Judging by the positioning of his feet and the angle of his breathing, a man, a little less than two metres tall and probably ninety kilos, was staring right at Evan.  His clothing shifted, informing Mashka that he had stiffened in recognition of her partner.  The man began to make a cautious beeline towards Evan.  Mashka walked just barely fast enough to take the seat next to her friend and still seem as if she had not noticed the figure approaching from behind.
     She heard a rustle.  The man was wearing a jacket and was now retrieving something from his pocket.  There was a metallic click.  His clothing shifted again, signalling her that he was extending his hand towards Evan, however she had not had time to note which hand held the metallic object.  Just before the man’s hand would have entered her peripheral vision Mashka’s hand shot up blindly, guessing by the distance of the sounds where the man’s hand would be.  She smiled when she felt her hand grasp the man’s wide wrist and felt the blood veins under the skin skip a beat in surprise.  Within the next second Mashka rose from her seat and the man found his wrist twisted painfully behind his neck and his face pressed against the counter.  He yelped in surprise.
     Mashka glared down at the man.  He had dark, neatly trimmed hair and crisp side burns accenting the corner of his jaw. She looked at the counter below and spotted the former occupant of the man’s hand, a well-used metal lighter whose margins had long worn away the finish.
     She blinked.  “Oh…” she said awkwardly, releasing him.  Judging by the tomblike silence, she did not even have to look to know that every set of bleary eyes was focused on her, and this time for an all-together difference reason.
     The man rose painfully and Evan’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Jack!?”
     “Rather possessive girlfriend you got there Evan.” The young twenty-ish man stated sorely.
      Evan grabbed Jack’s shoulder joyfully.  “How have you been my boy!?  And why on earth are you back in this little town?  I thought you went to Cambridge!”
“Hehe, well, what can I say, ran out of funds.” Jack laughed, his blushing cheeks dimpled a little causing Mashka to make the indifferent observation that the chap was extremely handsome.  “So I came back here as a paramedic to save up for the rest of med school.”
Growing tired of being left in the dark Mashka surmised.  “Old friends?”
     Both men looked at her, Jack stared off to the left and Evan sighed.  “Well, I should hope I’d know my own son.”
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     Outdoors Aleksei stared at the dark velvet sky.  “Never thought I would feel left out by not going into a bar.” he muttered while attempting to get a glimpse of any starlight.
     On a whim he looked to his left, knowing the street was quiet, but looking nonetheless as bored individuals are bound to do.  A fleeting image caught his eye.  He could not identify what it had been, but it was something familiar, like fur coats on Russian nights, or frost on the window pane next to his bed.
     He looked back at the bar entrance for a moment.  “Well, if I hurry…”  Cantering down the street he looked around the corner where he thought the strange familiarity might have gone.  Again just down the street he saw something like an after image, as if someone had just been there.  Naturally on a dark night in the middle of a city, a person would be nervous about traipsing about alone, but Aleksei felt that the presence was so warm and familiar.  He sprinted down the street and to the next corner.  He looked both ways, and something to his left caught his attention.  What was that? Aleksei wondered.  Finally growing frustrated he attracted the water vapour from the air and slammed his hand into the brick wall beside him.  The vapour followed suite and when he spread out his fingers the thin white clouds sprayed out like a spider’s web, climbing over the walls towards the other side of the block.  More mist webbing appeared in front of him, covering the sidewalk and twisting around the corner.  He was not going to lose track of whoever it was, since at this moment he was certain that it was a person who had caught his eye.  
     As he ran forward, he smiled when some of his misty tendrils came in contact with a single moving form.  He could not explain it, but an illogical elation burned in his chest.  He twisted around the corner just in time to see a foot disappear behind the corner of a building into an alleyway.  He hurried towards the spot but came to a dead halt when a disturbingly familiar, icy voice caught his ear.
     “So, you have the disc I asked for?”
     “Yes Miss Aho.  His current location is unknown but he is supposed to be back from vacation very shortly.”
     “Miss Aho?” Aleksei muttered under his breath.  “Where have I heard that name before?”
     “Oh please call me Anya.”
     Aleksei’s chest thumped painfully.  'The Association is here?  In Scotland?!  And it’s that woman!'
     He heard the sound of bills being counted out.
     “A pleasure doing business with you, I hope you will be a repeat customer perhaps?”
     “I think you should probably return to working with more reputable customers, if you want to live any length of time,” She cautioned him.
     The man chuckled nervously as he departed.  “Well, a pleasure anyways.”
     Aleksei scrambled to hide in the closest doorway as the man approached.  To his relief, the swarthy, rotund informant hurried straight across to the opposite side of the street and seamlessly switched acts to that of a somewhat drunk bystander making his staggering way home.  
     Judging by the muted noise of Anya’s steps, she was making her way further down the alley.
     I should go back now, Mashka and Evan need to know about this… Aleksei kept ordering himself to move, but every other drive wanted him to follow Anya, especially when there was the barely audible sound of steps falling in beside her.  She was not alone.  Again a strange, calming familiarity overcame Aleksei, as if the invisible person was someone he knew, he couldn’t turn back without knowing who it was.
     He crept forward, barely visible tendrils of vapour spread out before him and slithered down the alley.  When he could tell their backs were turned to him he slipped into the dark space, keeping close to the wall and any other cover possible.  He could now see that there was a male figure walking beside Anya.
     The further Aleksei followed the two, the more concerned he became.  They were walking too slow.  'They know I’m back here!'
     When Aleksei felt the male’s foot begin to twist he ducked behind some stacked cardboard that still offered him some visibility between gaps.  In a lightning fast motion the man spun, reaching into his jacket and flung out his hands.  In a brief moment, a stray ray of light reflected onto the man’s face.  Something small and hot sliced through the air above Aleksei, followed by three simultaneous thuds behind him.  The scent of simmering flesh and the rattling of last breaths choked the air.
     Aleksei looked behind him to see three men, each sporting holes that went clean through their necks.  After a few brief moments their bodies fell to the ground, fingers and legs still twitching involuntarily.  He had not even felt their presence, he was so focused on what was before him.
     Anya flipped open her phone.  “We were being trailed.”  She paused as she listened to the reply.  “It’s too dangerous to have an informant fall into enemy hands.  Kill him.” Her tone was weighted with exasperation.
     Aleksei looked back as the two walked towards him.  His heart twisted in a mix of joy and terror as he looked upon the face of the man.  It was like looking into a mirror.  “Vladimir…” he gasped.  Then covered his mouth, pulling himself further into the shadows.
Vlad unknowingly passed by less than a metre from his brother.  His face was cold, with a hint of irritation as he stuck his hands into the pockets of his unbuttoned black jacket.
     “You know Vladdy," Anya crooned, "I’m impressed that you’ve improved your less than perfect aim, but super-heating the knives is only going to ruin their aerodynamics.”
    “Be quiet, at least my way they don’t make any loud gurgling noises.”  Vlad replied defensively as he stepped over the bodies, not even noticing the raunchy stench of incinerated flesh that filled the alleyway.
     Anya sighed, “Will we have to deal with these Sentinel dogs everywhere?”
     As the two departed from view, it was as if time returned to the silent space and Aleksei shakily stood up.  'It’s been over six years… and this is how I see my brother?'  He stared down blankly at the corpses as memories flooded through his head: The time he had broken his ankle and his brother carried him home; the picnic on the Baltic coast where they played frisbee for hours; the long nights they would lie awake and just talk.  Wrestling matches in the living room; attending each other’s performances at school; arguing over who would get which chores that month; the silent moments when they said a million words a minute with no voice; and painful nights alone after the divorce.  All that heartfelt history flooded back to Aleksei as he struggled to see the twin he knew in who he had just seen.
     He grit his teeth in determination and raised his hand to the side.  Three streams of vapour twisted upwards to his palm. What started as a gentle slither turned into a rushing breeze and Aleksei began to gather vapour from all sides.  He was not thinking, he did not know what he would do, but he was not going to let his brother beloved just walk away.
     He began to swing his arm forward to launch the stream of fog in pursuit of his brother when a firm grip snatched his wrist and a hiss tickled his ear.
     “I don’t think you are being very wise now.” A nightmarish raspy voice slithered up Aleksei’s neck.
     Aleksei twisted around to face the dark clothed, hooded figure which held his wrist in a vice-like grip.
     The young man’s eyes widened in terror at the sight of the Messenger’s bent forward, twisted figure.  A single cold drop of water hit Aleksei’s nose, and even in the midst of his fear, his mouth twitched upward.
     Noticing the brief expression the Messenger also felt a raindrop hit its back.  “tch.” it hissed in irritation as the clouds burst.

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Episode Fourteen:
First Flight

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     Evelyn snuggled deeper into the linen covered pillow.  She felt annoyed at the feel of her long chestnut hair which she hadn’t had a chance to wash or brush in the last two days.  She wished for a moment she had one of the new short, trendy hairstyles, she would have a lot less hair to worry about then.  She closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would conquer her.  However her slumber did not last long as she heard two taps on her window.  Her eyes popped open and she rolled over.
     She gasped in shock when she saw Evan standing in the darkness on the other side of the glass.  “What are you--!?” she caught herself and lowered her voice, “what are you doing here?”
     Evan removed the bug screen, accidentally dropping it, causing both him and Evelyn to wince, then he slid the window open.
      “To see you of course!” he declared valiantly.
     “Most people come through the door, did you climb the building?  This is the fourth story!”
     Evan shook his head.  “Not quite, I used less conventional means.”
     “You flew!”
     Evan nodded.
     “Wow!”
     “Yes, I can fly now, and I think I’m finally stable enough to take you with me!”
     “Really?” Evelyn’s grin sparkled.
     Evan’s cheeks brightened a few shades of red.  “Uh huh, so as soon as you are better let’s go for a short flight, to anywhere you want.”
     She nodded eagerly.
     A calm silence enveloped the dim room.
     “Heh, I better be going, mom might notice I’m gone.”
     “Yes you should, my parents might walk in soon too.”
     “Ok,” Evan grinned.
     They both felt like rogue agents, working outside the law of the parental government.
     “Get well soon.” Evan muttered as he patted her head.
     “I will.” Evelyn promised.  She watched as Evan stepped out onto the narrow ledge.  His dark clothing made it seem like his body vanished, all except his face and hands.  He closed the window behind him and waved, flashing one of his smiles that she loved.  Then he seemed to just vanish, like a shadow when a light is turned on.
     Heavy regret filled her chest as her diaphragm shook weakly.
     'I should have asked for a ride now…'  she thought as her eyes watered.  'He doesn’t even know I’m not going to leave this place.  I hate lying.'  She looked out at the window, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend, hurrying on his way home through the night sky.  She looked back at the door to the room.  Her mother still had not returned.  Another meagre spasm shook her diaphragm.  She felt her body relax.  As she felt herself drown she smiled.  'Now is the best time.  I wanted to be alone when this happened.  I wouldn’t want to see mother’s or father’s scared faces.  They would just make me nervous.'  A hollow feeling gripped her heart, as fear poured in.  She did not want it to be this way.  She was afraid, her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably as she felt her senses numb.  
     'I’m glad that the last face I saw was smiling.'  When that merciful thought touched her soul, it gave some relief to her fear, now she was ready. Against her will her lungs painfully expanded, bringing in the harsh air and prolonging the agonising process.  
     'He has a princely smile, it makes me almost imagine he's from a book.  I wish I went with him…'  However reality hit her harshly as she thought of the consequences of being carried by him while she went through this.  'That would be bad for him.  A first kiss would have been nice though.  It would have looked like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White.  The perfect end to a fairy tale, a happy ever after.'
     She made one more shallow breath.  There were only a few spare moments before she suffocated.  'I guess I can fly with you after all, Evan…'
     A dull pain filled her chest as her heart pumped hard once followed by two gentle murmurs, and at last, a single shaky beat as her faithful pump tried one more time to defeat the Muses’ scissors, until at last the struggling ceased, the thread of fate cut.  She blinked once, and three tears fell from her eyes, one of farewell to her parents, one of regret for her dearest friend, and the last a tear of joy as she felt her wings take flight.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     The wind blew pleasantly through Evan’s hair.  He could not wait until the day he would take a flight with her.  There was an odd lightness in his chest and burning feeling in his stomach.  
     He dived into a long straight alley to avoid the brighter lights of down-town, as he hurtled through the passage he felt a grip on his shoulder.  He twisted around swiftly and landed, skidding along the cement.  He looked around in the darkness, wondering what had touched him.
     He spied a clothesline and sighed in relief.  Something about the touch had been frightening to him, despite how tender it felt.  After one more deep breath he took off into the air and continued home.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The next day Evan walked down to see his mother on the phone, the skin of her face ashen, and when she looked up him, she grew paler still.  
     “Umm, it’s Evan,” she said into the phone.  “Yes, I’ll tell him,” a choke hit her throat as she uttered the last, overused phrase, “Sorry for your loss.”  The phone tumbled from her hand to the receiver.
     “E-ev-an,” his mother sobbed, tears welling up in her eyes, and one of them running a trail down her cheek.
     Looking at his mother’s face, the boy’s eyes widened slowly as realisation hit him.  He made a sharp intake of breath and in a deep and harsh moan cried, “N-no!”
     “I’m sorry, I should have gone with you last night…” Mrs. MacIntyre was now breaking down in heavy sobs of immense guilt and sorrow.
     “No!” Evan cried.  “No, no, no, no!”  He turned and ran towards the door.
     “Wait, Evan!” his mother screamed while chasing after him.  Before she could reach her son the door had slammed shut before her.  She did not even have the heart to open it and call out to her child.  She crumpled before the closed door, engulfed in her sobs and wails.  Her heart was breaking as she thought of the misery tearing up the heart of her son and how she wished she could go back in time to fix it.  Her own child’s pain had been more than evident in his defiant shouts that only barely covered the sound of his breaking heart.
     Down the street Evan ran, no tears had fallen down his face.  He just ran, focusing on the pain he felt as his bare feet slammed against the cold concrete, numbing the wretchedness that was gradually sneaking up on him.  Not paying attention to where he was going he found himself running into the secluded corner of the garden that he and Evelyn had called theirs.  
     With nowhere further to run he leaned against the brick wall.  He pounded it in frustration.  “Why!” he hissed.  “Why her?”
     He picked up a rock and threw it then turned around to do some other sort of destruction when he felt a strange pressure against his palm.  A high pitched wail emanated from his hand and red dust filled the air.  He looked the direction his hand had been facing and when the dust cleared there was a circular hole drilled through the garden wall. Another pressure touched his other hand.  Again a roar wailed in his ears and a transparent rod-shaped vortex shot out from his arm and the force spun him around, a string of explosions ran across the wall beside him as he spun, leaving behind what looked like marks from a large sledge hammer.
     Evan fell to the ground.  Sudden exhaustion overcoming his body.  The dirt before his face blurred as he lost consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Evan lowered his hand and stared at the former sheet of corrugated metal.  The ridges had been eliminated and the twisted remains resembled a funnel with a ragged hole in the middle.
     “So this was your reasoning.” He raised his eyebrow in wonderment as to how the Apparition knew about his past and the other side of his ability.  'So you want me to use this power?'
     He grabbed the twisted metal and returned it to the garbage pile.  He looked down the long alleyway.  A bitter smile crossed his lips as he walked towards the churchyard.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The sun shown brilliantly on Evelyn’s funeral, it was the only day of the entire week that was not filled with storm clouds. Evan grit his teeth in anger every time a bird sang, or a butterfly drifted by. He felt like God was mocking the day his best friend was lowered into a two metre hole. He could not even provide rain to conceal the boy’s tears which made red paths down his face.
     He glanced over at Mr. and Mrs. Douglas.  They were sad, but at the same time, a glimmer of relief hid in their eyes. Watching their only child slowly and painfully depart the world had been torment, a torment from which they were now released. Apparently they had long known of their daughter’s condition. Evan had overheard that it was some rare lung and heart malformations, but he did not care for the details, she was gone.
     Now Mr. and Mrs. Douglas could leave this painful chapter behind. As for Evan, he had ripped out his own soul and left it on the casket. After that funeral, he would continue on, but his heart would be locked away in that year he had spent with the small brunette girl with a delicate ski slope nose and tender, dark eyes.  Evan as he had been that year was dead, and a new Evan took his place, a shell of a shattered dream.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The cold stone soothed his calloused hand.  His fair gray eyes matched the tombstone’s surface.  His finger traced the name, Evelyn Douglas.
    Evan felt a strange happiness being here, before the grave of a girl whose life was snatched away too soon.  “Hello old friend. This is my first time visiting you after that day... I’m sorry.” his voice cracked a little when the apology escaped his lips.  Tears welled up in his eyes.  “I’m sorry for not taking you for that flight I promised. The clouds we gazed at would have looked much nicer from above.”
     He paused, enjoying the silence of the cemetery.
     A quick chuckle escaped Evan‘s lips, followed by a bitter smile.  “I lost my way.” a sob rattled his chest.  “I even forgot that year we spent, the happiest year of my life.  I’ve done a lot of things, Evelyn.  I tread the byways of humanity, and lost portions of what was left of my broken heart all over the place.  But now I came back, to make things right.”  He placed his palm flat on the stone.
     “This year, I found my way again.  I’m caring for someone, but my heart is too small to carry the weight. Those two are far too wonderful for me, and I just don’t have the room.  I can’t love them back the way I am, so please, hear my one selfish request. I may not be coming back here again, so please, return that piece of me I left with you.  I want them to have at least half of an old man’s heart.” His stomach tightened painfully as he sobbed before the stone capsule of his past.
     Despite his weeping, he felt the heavy burden he had carried since he began this lonesome trek, gently lighten from his shoulders.  He was not sure whether his wish was actually granted, but at least the words he had wanted to say were finally said, and that felt almost enough.
     Leaving the churchyard cemetery behind, he began on his way back.  His heart skipped a beat just before he turned down the street where he would see the small oak bench.  He calmed his breath and walked around the corner.  The bench was just as it had always been, but there was a woman sitting on it. Evan huffed slightly to recover from his weaping and wore a neutral expression as he made his way down the street.  He passed by the woman on the bench and paused.
     The brunette pulled out a small mirror and glanced at her face.  “Your friend would have turned into a beautiful woman.”
     “You're heartless,” he muttered.  Turning he made a weary smile at her.  “I went on the 'find my heart' trip you wanted, now what?”
    The Apparition flicked back the middle aged Evelyn’s hair, her face a perfect resemblance, and put away the mirror.  “You regained the power right?”
     Evan nodded.
     “Then I need you to find someone, the one who is in danger. His name is George Donnelly and he lives somewhere in Edinburg.”
     “Is he another Jinn?”
     “Of course! The children of Adam have their keepers, but no one guarding the children of ash.”
     “If you know his name, then shouldn’t you be able to find him and just tell us where he is? Use the internet.  You don‘t have to rely on just on mind-reading anymore.  It’s very last century of you.”
     The Apparition smiled, still hiding behind adult-Evelyn’s face.  “Good to see you have gained a sense of humour.  His name should have been George Donnelly, however I doubt he goes by that after what his father did.  I will keep you informed, I believe I know who is hiding him from me.”
     Evan cocked an eyebrow.
     She rolled her eyes.  “Yes, even I don’t know everything.
     “Anyway, those two are waiting for you.”  She stood up.  “Oh, but before you go, did I get the voice right?”
     Evan paused, a genuine smile crossed his face.  “You need to sound more like a crow.”
     “Huh?”
     “Oh, and one more thing,” Evan said glancing at the ground.  “Try to cast your shadow correctly, I could tell it was you immediately.” Smiling smugly, he departed.
     The Apparition watched him go and grinned, shaking her head as her body flaked apart and drifted away like smoke from a snuffed candle.

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